Compared to cars and motorcycles, traveling in a plane or aircraft is one of the safest modes of transportation available. Therefore, you may not think about plane accidents all that much. However, aviation accidents can and do happen – and the consequences are often deadly.
Plane Accidents in the U.S.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently reported 1,837 accidents involving small and large aircraft in the U.S. in the course of just one year. Almost one in five (18.7%) of these accidents involved fatalities, with a total of 596 people killed.
A plane accident or crash can be caused by a number of factors, including:
- Pilot error
- Mechanical failure
- Defective design or manufacturing
- Air traffic control error
- Severe weather
Aviation Law
Regardless of the reason for the crash, you and/or your family may qualify to receive compensation for injury, property damage or wrongful death. However, not surprisingly, aviation litigation can be particularly complicated, involving a jumble of state, federal and sometimes international laws. This makes the plaintiff's burden of proof much more difficult.